What Are Some Common Oral Infections?
Canker sores, also called aphthous (AF-thus) ulcers, are painful but benign * sores that occur on the tongue, inside of the lips and cheeks, gums, and palate. There is no evidence that canker sores are caused by an infectious organism. However, they are very common and can be confused with the sores that appear with some mouth infections. The ulcers may appear one at a time or in groups. They are small, pale, shallow, gray-white, and usually surrounded by bright red tissue. These sores most frequently affect children and young adults. Sometimes they erupt when people accidentally bite the inside of their mouth or where braces rub the inside of the cheek. Stress, sensitivity to a particular food, not getting enough iron or B vitamins, and changes in hormones * , like those that occur during women’s normal menstrual cycles, also may trigger canker sores. Often there is no apparent reason why a person develops a canker sore, although some people may be more likely to have them, especially
